First Winfield Experience

This past weekend our boys got to experience their first Winfield.  If you know anything about me and/or my family, you know that Winfield is a big family tradition for us.  I've gone every year of my life with the exception of the year I fractured my back (2007) and last year since the boys had just come home from the hospital.

This year, I decided we were going to make it happen.  So we packed up EVERYTHING (clothes, diapers, wipes, snacks, toys, 3 pack n' plays, our wagon...you name it, we had it.  We had decided ahead of time we weren't going to camp like we always had in the past.  Instead, we made arrangements to stay at my sister, Nicole's house in Wichita.

Overall, everything went really well.  It was forecasted to ran all day, which I was dreading.  Instead of rain, we had lots of sun...hot sun.  It ended up being really hot all day, so we spent a majority of our time in the shaded campground instead of up at the fairgrounds listening to music.  It was great to see family, especially my oldest sister Michelle and her husband and kids who came out from Colorado.  The boys seemed to have a good time.  They napped well and we were able to put them down in pack n' plays that night around 8:00 since we weren't going to be heading to to Nicole's until 10:00.

It was definitely a very different Winfield experience than ever before, but I was glad we went.  The boys loved the music and the people watching.  Looking forward to going again next year!

Napping in Grammy & Papa's camper

Lucas got the best seat in the house

My dear little thumb-sucker

Cooling off

Nolan sportin' his new hat from Auntie Cole

Ollie liked his new Shockers hat

It's not Winfield without a drum!

Walking around the fairgrounds

Lucas trying on hats

Rasta-Nolan meets Johsie 

Heading back to the campground after listening to music

Grandma's Piano

Several weeks ago, my dad made a trip up here to drop off something very special.  Something so beautiful and dear to me.  My grandma's piano.

My grandma was an amazing woman.  She was the most loving and caring person I have ever met.  She loved music and board games...two characteristics of myself that I'd like to think I might have gotten from her.

When we were little, we would spend every Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving at my Grandma and Grandpa's house.  And this piano was always such a big part of those family gatherings.  Whether it was the grandkids pounding on its keys, or Grandma or Aunt Bonnie playing it, it rarely sat in silence.  I remember gathering around it, singing Christmas Carols and hymns....harmonizing with the aunts....my dad's deep bass voice rumbling in the background.  Such great memories.

My grandmother passed away summer of 2012 after a long battle with Alzheimer's.  She has been greatly missed by many.  This piano has been sitting in my grandpa's house ever since and he was finally ready to part with it, but understandably wanted to keep it in the family.  When my dad asked me if I wanted it, I almost didn't feel like I was worthy.  This was my grandma's piano!  I also really questioned whether I had space in my house for a piano.  But in the end, I couldn't turn it down.  And I'm so glad I didn't.

This piano has brought so much joy to our family.  I have so very much enjoyed playing it, whether alone with no one around or while one of the boys sits on my lap and the other two crawl around and play with their toys.  I can't wait to one day teach them how to play!

The day after my dad dropped the piano off, I went downstairs to dust it off and clean it up.  Afterwards, I started poking around on the keys.  I was amazed at how it sounded exactly the same as I remembered it so many years ago.  It's funny how your senses can take you back.  I found myself playing an old hymn, "It Is Well (With My Soul)".  It made me miss my grandma tremendously, but it also made me smile.  When I closed my eyes, it wasn't me I imagined playing it.  It was my smiling grandma.  

I love and miss you, Grandma!  Thank you so much for trusting me with this beautiful family heirloom.  I promise to play it often and think of you whenever I do!

Living Room Kindermusik

I have to say, I have some pretty cool people in my family.  My cousin Lindsay is a music teacher in Lawrence.  She is very musically talented and quite frankly is just a fun person.  She approached me about a month ago and informed me that she used to do Kindermusik classes for toddlers and that she'd love to come do a class at my house with the boys and a few of their friends.  I was thrilled at this idea!  So, I contacted a few people I knew to see if they were interested.  A lot of my teacher friends were already going back to work, but I was able to find three adorable little girls and their mommies to come over to make music with us! One of them was my sister-in-law Jen and niece Dakota who comes over just about every week. Then I also invited Amy, a girl I went to high school with.  Her daughter is 18 months old and is just darling.  And Kimberly and her daughter Lillian came as well.  Kimberly is in my Mommies group.  Lil is 16 months and is just adorable.

Everyone came over around 9:00 AM and we had about 45 minutes of singing, drumming, playing with scarves, dancing...you name it.  The kids had so much fun banging on the instruments and making music.  It was cuteness overload.  I had so much fun and am so grateful to my cousin for doing this.  I would love to be able to set something like this up again sometime!

While I have Glee on the mind...

I decided to come up with a list of my all-time favorite Glee songs. Here they are:

• Keep Holding On
• Alone
• Defying Gravity
• Like a Prayer
• I Dreamed a Dream
• Journey Medley (mostly Faithfully)
• Somewhere Over the Rainbow

What are your faves, Gleeks?

A Night of Great Music

Tonight has been full of amazing music because:

1. I watched the Glee finale. LOVED the Journey medley (particularly Faithfully). Wow!

2. My friend Lisa posted a video of the Dixie Chicks covering Train's "Soul Sister" from the Toronto concert last night. Lisa and I are going to Chicago next weekend to see the Chicks (and The Eagles). This will be the first time I've ever seen the Dixie Chicks live since I was a kid and it was Martie, Emily, Laura Lynch, and Robin Macy Lynn. I've been a fan for many years and have sang many a' open mic nights/karaoke to the Dixie Chicks (SO wish my sisters could make it to this show). After watching that Soul Sister video earlier....I was definitely in the mood. So I added all the songs from the Toronto setlist to a Grooveshark playlist. I'm very content right now.

Lea Michele + Idina Menzel = The Perfect Duet

In this week's Glee episode, Rachel (Lea Michele) and her mom (Idina Menzel - from the original Wicked cast) end up singing I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miserables. Ever since I watched that episode a couple days ago, I haven't been able to stop listening to this song. I've always loved the music from Les Mis and hearing these two PHENOMENAL women sing this song brings tears to my eyes.

Simply amazing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8B56AsKfJs

I've always thought this....

"You can take these four chords...repeat them...and pump out any pop song ever written."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pidokakU4I

So true.

Glee - Madonna Episode

A sneak preview...

http://www.pinkisthenewblog.com/2010/04/listen-the-cast-of-glee-like-a-prayer/

I can't wait!

ADORABLE!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErMWX--UJZ4

I feel better now

After many responses on Facebook to my Rudolph note, I'm now feeling a lot better. All my friends last night had me feeling like a crazy person because I sing it the "fudge face---football---Columbus" way. It turns out...a lot of people (outside of the Taylor family) sing it that way too!

It took a few people stepping up to say something to help me get my reindeer pride back. But I'm no longer living in red-nosed fear. I will stand proudly and sing that holiday favorite from the top of my lungs. And I will not say "Pinocchio". I will not say "Monopoly". And I will not say "George Washington"! I will sing it the way I learned it and I will not be ashamed.

I also decided to google "rudolph the red-nosed reindeer like fudge face" and found this:

"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (reindeer)
Had a very shiny nose (like a lightbulb)
And if you ever saw him (saw him)
You would even say it glows (like a lightbulb/flashlight)

All of the other reindeer (reindeer)
Used to laugh and call him names (like Pinocchio/fudgeface)
They never let poor Rudolph (Rudolph)
Join in any reindeer games (like Monopoly/football)

Then one foggy Christmas Eve
Santa came to say (Happy Birthday/Ho-ho-ho!)
"Rudolph, with your nose so bright,
Won't you guide my sleigh tonight?"

Then all the reindeer loved him (loved him)
As they shouted out with glee: (Yippee!)
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, (reindeer)
You'll go down in history! (like Columbus/Mickey Mouse/George Washington/The Yellow Pages)"

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

After surveying an entire bar full of people, I realized yesterday that all my life I've been singing Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer totally wrong. I'm trying to figure out how this could have happened. Is it a family thing? I called my sisters and they sing it the same way I do...

Or is this a regional thing? Perhaps all Marionites sing it this way?

I'm distraught. Can you please help me out with this? Fill in the blanks below so I can perhaps get to the bottom of this.

Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer (reindeer)
Had a very shiny nose (like a light bulb)
And if you ever saw it (saw it)
You would even say it glows (like a light bulb)
All of the other reindeer (reindeer)
Used to laugh and call him names (like _____________)
They wouldn't let poor Rudolph (Rudolph)
Join in any reindeer games (like ______________)

Then one foggy Christmas eve
Santa came to say (Ho, ho, ho!)
Rudolph with your nose so bright
Won't you guide my sleigh tonight?

Then all the reindeer loved him (loved him)
As they shouted out with glee (yippee!)
Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer (reindeer)
You'll go down in history (like _______________)